Production of expanded metal



June 28, KESSLER PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL .Filed ug. 10. 927 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwuenfoc Quorum June 28, 1932. H. A. KESSLER 1,864,597

PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL Fire Aug- 10. 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 @414! dub June 28, 1932. H. A. KESSLER PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL Fi'led Aug. 10. 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 #5697 6, Afsazie Q OQP- June 28, 1932.

H. A. KESSLER PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 10. 192'? Hg. 6 a

gwwmtoz Ale/em 5 1235.45?

- June 28, 1932. H. A. KESSLER 1,854,597

PRODUCTION OF: EXPANDED METAL Filed Aug 10, 1927 e Sheets-Sheet 5 Will/I112;

June 28, 1932. H. A. KESSLER 1 4,5

PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL Filed Aug. 10. 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 III/III]! A 7/ M) M, Rx kwwmg Patented June 28, 1932 TEES UIT sr HARRY A. KESSLEB, E BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO KALMAN STEEL COM- PANY, INCL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS A CORPOBATIGN OEDELAWARE PRODUCTION OF EXPANDED METAL Application filed August 10, 1927. SerialNo. 211,959.

This invention relates to the production of expanded metal and proposes a method for the manufacture of lath. The object of the invention is to produce lath of superior quality, characterized by flat strands and bonds lying in a common plane, in a simpler, more rapid and more economical manner than has heretofore been possible.

Equipment for practicing the'invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure lis a plan view of the equipment. Figure 9 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof. V

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view .of the strands of stretching rolls and the expansion guide interposed between them.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view of the features shown in .20 Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detailed cross sectional view of the rib forming rolls.

F gure 5a is a plan view ofa fragment of theblank as it appears on emergence from the rib forming rolls.

Figure 6 is a detailed cross sectional view of the stretching rolls of the first stand. I

Figure 6a is a vertical sectional view of a fragment of the blank as itappears on emergence from the stretching rolls of Figure 6. h i 1 Figure 7 is a detailed cross sectional view of the stretching rolls of the second stand.

Figure 7a is a vertical sectional view of a $6 fragment of the blank as it appears on its emergence from the stretching rolls shown in Figure 7, this view being taken as indicated by the arrows in Figure 7. t

Figure 8 is a detailed'vertical section show- .40 ing a sectorof the upper stretching rollof the second stand.

Figure 8a is a plan view of a fragment of the blank as it appearsduring its movement through the stretching rolls of the second 1 stand.

Figure 9 is a detailed sectional View of a means for guiding the ribbed blank between the various stands of rolls.

The invention is herein shown in connection with the manufacture of ribbed lath and the equipment illustrated consists generally of instrumentalities as follows and which operate on aslitted blank in the order enu- .merated, n-amely'ribbing rolls, first stand of expansion rolls, expansion guide, second stand of expansion rolls, second expansion guide, ribstraightening rolls and finishing rolls.- The method is characterized by the stretching of the strands which are delimited bythe slits and maly be practiced with either a hot or cold blank, a heated blank being preferably used. I

The blank B with which the process is started is slitted by any suitable mechanism (not shown) and having been brought to the degree of heat desired is ready for treatment by the equipment shown in the drawing. In the'finished product the expansion is preferably of the diamondmesh type and the slitting illustrated is accordingly the well known arrangement of longitudinal rows of slits with the slits of one row in staggered orcbreak-joint position relatively to the slits. ofwa-djacent rows as illustrated more clearly in Figure 5a. For the production of ribbed metal the blank is characterized (Figure 1) by 'longitudi-nalslitted zones 6 and by parallel longitudinal unslitted zones A, each slitted :zone extending .between 1111-- slitted zones.

A preferred, altho not indispensible, feature of the presentmethod is the formation of the ribs in the first instance, that is to say prior to the major expansion operation. Thereby two advantages are served, first, lgreatercertainty and effectiveness in guiding the blank through the machine by virtue of the cooperation of the guiding parts'with ribswhich are completely formed and of full depthat theloutset of the operation of the machine and second, the stretching and' expansion incident to-the formation of theribs of the strands of the two outer rows at each sideofeach expanded zone. For the ribbing operation cooperating rolls 10 and 11 are employed, one of which, in this instance the upper roll 10, isformed with peripheral channels 12 and the other of which, in this instance the lower roll 11, is formedwith peripheral ribs'13 which operate in the channels 12 and shape the flat non-slitted parts of the blank into reenforcing ribs a of suitable cross section (Figure The ribbing rolls and 11 are of the construction usually employed in the manufacture of ribbed expanded metal with this exception, viz., that they are formed to provide upper and lower clearances M and coinciding in location with the marginal portions of the non-slitted zones prior to the ribbing operation. The channels 12 and ribs 13 aline centrally with the nonslitted zones A and their operation in forming the ribs a does not reduce the width of the blank. The reason for this is that as the margins of the non-slitted zones are drawn toward one another incident to the rib forming operation the strands delimited by the two outer rows of slits of each slitted zone are drawn laterally outward through the ole arances 14 and 15 and are thereby stretched and expanded in extensions of the plane of their associated zone as clearly shown in Figures 5 and 50;. Thus the blank passes from the rolls 11 and 12 with the ribs a complete- 1y formed and with the two outer rows of strands of each slitted zone stretched and expanded. More than the two outer rows of strands of each slitted zone might be stretched in this manner in connection with the rib forming operation (the number of rows stretched depending on the width of the lower clearances 15), but for the best results the stretching and expansion at this stage of the operation of the machine is preferably limited to the two outer rows of strands at each side of each slitted zone.

From the ribbing rolls 10 and 11 the blank passes to expansion and stretching rolls 16 and 17, an intermediate guide 18 which acts on the ribs a being provided to insure the exact registry of the blank with the expansion rolls. The guide 18 is shown in detail in Figure 9 and consists of parallel elements, each composed of an upper bar 18a which bears upon a rib a and a lower bar 186 arranged under the bar 18a and over which the rib a slides. The rolls 16 and 17 include guiding elements which act on the ribs a, the roll 16 for such purpose being formed (Figure 6) with peripheral channels 19 and the roll 17 being formed with circumferential ribs 20 which operate in the channels 19. The channels 19 and ribs 20 conform exactly to the ribs (1,- and have guiding'engagement with said ribs during the passage of the blank through the rolls 16 and 17 One of the expansion rolls, in this instance theupper roll 16, is formed'with circumferential enlargements 21, one for each slitted zone, which serVe as expansion and stretching ribs and the other roll, in this instance the lower roll 17 is formed with peripheral channels 22 in which the ribs 21 operate. The rolls 16 w and 17 effect the complete expansion and stretching 'of parts of each slitted zone adjoining the parts which were expanded and stretched during the formation of the ribs and thus the expansion of each slitted zone is commenced at the margins thereof and progresses toward its center. The parts of the roll 17 which carry the guide ribs 20 are sufliciently extended at their sides to prov de shoulders 23 to engage the strands which were stretched during the ribbing operation. The channels 22' are of sufficient width to provide clearances 24 at the sides of the expansion ribs 21 and are preferably of sulficient depth to be out of contact with the metal which is engaged by the ribs 21. The engaging face of each rib 21 is of the same transverse extent as the portion of the slitted zone with which it alines and of a substantially less transverse extent than the channels 22. In these clearances the metal of the blank is bent so as to extend diagonally straight between the marginal portions of each slitted zone which are engaged by the shoulders 23 and the central portion of the slitted zone which is engaged by the rib 21. The portions of the blank which extend diagonally straight in the clearances 24 are pulled out to greater width and thereby the said portions are opened out into mesh form and-the strands are stretched. It is to be noted that it has been found practical to expand and stretch several rows of strands in each of the clearances 24. This is well illustrated in Figure 6a which shows in section one of the slitted zones during the passage of the blank through the rolls 16 and 17 On emergence from the expansion rolls each slitted zone has all of its strands fully expanded and stretched except those which were engaged by the rib 21.

After leaving the rolls 16 and 17 the blank is operated on by an expansion guide 25 shown in detail in Figures 3 and 4. This guide serves the purposes of pulling out the slitted zones into flat planes and of providing for the exact registry of the blank with the final expansion and stretching rolls 26 and 2?. The guide 25 consists of diverging elements arranged in fan-like formation and each coniposed of an upper bar 25a which bears upon a rib a and a lower bar 256 arranged under the bar 25a and over which the rib a slides. will, of course, be understood that instead of a guide 25 of the construction disclosed, any other means suitable for the purposes in View may be employed. The guide 25 pulls the slitted zones from the forms which they have on emergence from the expansion rolls 16 and 17 to substantially straight cross sections in which the parts of the slitted zones are substantially co-planar.

The rolls 26 and 27 are formed to cooperate with the ribs a in guiding the blank and therefore have recesses 28 and ribs 29, respectively, similar to the recesses 19 and ribs 20 of the'rolls 16 and 17. The roll 26 is formed with expansion and stretching ribs 30, one for It iis each slitted zone, and the roll 27 is formed with shoulders 31 for the support of the previously expanded portions of each slitted zone and with channels 32 in which the expansion ribs 30 operate. A difference is to be noted between the operations of the rolls 16 and 17 on the one hand and of the rolls 26 and 27 on the other hand. Whereas each rib 21 of the roll 16 has its engaging face of the same transverse extent as the unexpanded portion of the blank with which it is alined and the expansion and stretching effected by the rolls 16 and 17 is completed in the clearances 24, in the case of the rolls 26 and 27 each rib 30 has its engaging face of an extent which corresponds to the fully expanded extent of the non-expanded portion of the blank with which it alines, no clearances similar to the clearances 2% are provided, and the expansion and stretching of the central portion of the blank is efiected by the ribs 30 in connection with the displacement and cross sectional bowing of said central portions and is completed (Figures 8 and 8a) at the time said central portions reach the center of the pass between the rolls 26 and 27. On emergence from the rolls 26 and 27 the slitted zones are completely stretched and expanded and have central portions of bowed or arch shaped cross section as shown in Figures 7 and 7a. The blank is thereupon acted upon by a guide 33 similar to the guide 25 and which, acting on the ribs of the blank to cause their forward movement along diverging paths, pulls the completely expanded slitted zones into flat or straight cross sections. From the guide 33 the blank passes through a first pair of finishing rolls 34- and 35 which are respectively formed with recesses and ribs for guiding cooperation with the ribs a in the manner previously described, the function of the rolls 34 and 35 being primarily to straighten and finish the ribs. From the rolls 34 and 35 the blank passes to the final pair of finishing rolls 36 and 37 which are enerally similar to the rolls 3i and 35 ani act primarily on the expanded strands to give them a final set and a suitable finish, a guide 38 composed of parallel elements and similar to the guide 18 being interposed between the two sets of finishing rolls. The completed product is delivered by the rolls 36 and 37.

Having fully described my invention. I claim:

1. The method of manufacturing metal lath from a slitted blank which consists in holding the blank at spaced points against lateral displacement, engaging between the points at which the blank is held parallel portions of the slitted blank, each containing a number of rows of strands with the strands adjacent said engaged portions nnengaged, displacing said engaged portions from the plane of the blank, thereby stretching and expanding the unengaged strands at each side of saiddisplaced engaged portions, thereafter stretching and expanding said engaged portions by further cross-sectional displace- 'ment of the same, and then operating on the blank to straighten the cross-section of the expanded areas.

2. The methoduof manufacturing metal lath from a blank having slitted zones and parallel non-slittedzones alternating with the slitted zones which consists in holding theblank at the non-slitted-zones against lateral displacement, engaging between the non-slitted zones parallel portions of the slitted zones, each containing a number of rows of strands with the strands adjacent said en- .gaged portions unengaged, displacing said engaged portions from the plane of the blank, thereby stretching and expanding the unengaged strands at each side of said displaced engaged portions, thereafter stretching and expanding said engaged portions-by a further cross-sectional displacement of the same,

a number of rows of strands with the strands adjacent said engaged portions unengaged,

displacing said engaged portions from the,

planeof the blank, thereby stretching and expanding the unengaged strands at each side of said displacedengaged portions, operating on-th'e' blank to straighten the cross-section of the slitted area's, thereafter stretching and expanding said engaged portions by further cross-sectional displacement of the'same, and

then operating on the blank to straighten the cross-section of the expanded areas.

4. The method of manufacturing metal lath from a blank having slitted zones and parallel non-slitted zones alternating with the slitted zones which consists in'holding the blank at the non-slitted zones against lateral displacement, engaging between the nonslitted zones parallel portions of the slitted zones, each containing'a number of rows of strands with the strands adjacent said engaged portions uneng'aged, displacing said engaged portionsfrom the-plane of the blank,

thereby stretching and expanding the'unengaged strands at eachside of said displaced engaged portions, operating on the blank to straighten the cross-section of the slitted zones, thereafter stretching and expanding said engaged portions by a further cross-sectional displacement of the same and then operating on'the blank to straighten the cross section of the expanded areas.

5. The method of manufacturing lath from a blank having slitted zones and parallel nonslitted zones alternating with the slitted zones which consists in forming the nonslitted zones into ribs which extend lengthwise of the non-slitted zones and during the formation of the ribs, stretching and expanding portions of the slitted zones adjacent the ribs, then while holding the ribs against lateral displacement engaging between the ribs parallel portions of the slitted zones,

' each containing a number of rows of strands with the strands between said previously stretched and expanded strands and said engaged portions unengaged, displacing said engaged portions from the plane of the blank, thereby stretching and expanding the un- I engaged strands, thereafter stretching and expanding said engaged portions by further cross-sectional displacement of the same, and then operating on the blank to straighten the cross section of the slitted zones.

6. The method of manufacturing metal 7 lath from a blank having slitted zones and parallel non-slitted zones alternating with the slitted zones which consists in forming the non-slitted zones into ribs which extend lengthwiseof the non-slitted zones and during the formation of the ribs, stretching and expanding portions of the, slitted zones adj acent the ribs, then 'while holding the ribs against lateral displacement engaging between the ribs parallel portions of the slitted blank, each containing a number of rows of strands with the strands between said previously stretched and expanded strands and said engaged portion unengaged, displacing said engaged portions from the plane of the blank, thereby stretching and expanding the unengaged strands, operating on theblank to straighten thecross section of the slitted zones, thereafter stretching and expanding said engaged portions by a further crosssectional displacement of the same, and then again operating on the blank to straighten the cross-section of the expanded areas. 7 7. The method of manufacturingmetal lath from a blank having slitted zones and parallel non-slitted zones alternating with the slitted zones which consists in forming the non-slitted zones into ribs which extend lengthwise of the zones and during the formation of the ribs holding the slitted zones with the exception of those portions adjacent the ribs against expansion whereby J said adjacent portions are completely ex- 55 panded during the formation of the ribs, then stretching and expanding the remaining portions of the slitted zones by effecting their displacement from the original planes of the slitted zones and then operating on the blank tostraighten the cross-section of the expanded zones.

In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my signature.

HARRY A. KESSLER. 

